Sunset, Monument Valley

Jan arranged for a sunset tour of Monument Valley.  The roads into the actual "park" aren't paved.  In fact, for an ordinary sedan they are dangerous.  There's a fairly good chance you can lose a transmission in there.  Plus there are many roads in the park that only a guide can drive.  Those are in even worse shape.

Navajo Spirit Tours was our provider and our excellent tour guide was Don.  He was not only good at finding really interesting spots and knowing what time to get us there, but he also imparted lots of information about his people.  For example, to each other they are known as Dine, which looks like it rhymes with wine but is pronounced Dih-neh.

Our sky was a rich tapestry of sun and blue skies mixed with incredibly black and ominous ones.  We never got wet although it rained around us.  We got to see bright rainbows and lightning together.  As luck would have it I clicked the shutter at the right moment and have both in one shot.

The various formations inside Monument Valley (which is not what the Dine call it) have names that are in no way connected to the tribal culture.  But, as our guide laughed, it's good for tourism.  It was difficult to decide which pictures to use tonight.  Here are 6 that I like.

 This formation is called The Sisters.  If you look at the one on the left and you use a little imagination it looks like a nun praying.  Or, if you can't see it, just think of it as a big letter W.

 There are wild horses running through parts of the valley.  A few look like they could use a meal.   Look at that sky!  How black can you get?

 Evidence that people inhabited the land many centuries ago.

 Last night I worked for the better part of 45 minutes to capture the two lightning strikes I posted on Facebook.  Today, I just clicked at the right moment.  The rainbow looked like it was really close, although that's just an illusion.

 Called the Totem Polls, the Navajo people do not carve them.  This art form is indigenous to tribes in Canada and Alaska, but as Don said, it's good for tourism.

Every grand landscape must have a location called Artist Point.  This is theirs.  And it's the last shot for this particular post.  You'll have to wait for the video for more.  Incidentally, I decided to shoot some video from this precise location as well and while shooting it there was a huge lightning strike.  Also, on the way back to the starting point, which is basically the parking lot of this Hotel, I got another one in front of The Mittens.  Sometimes you get on a roll.